Insulation products made from polymer fibers are not new as there are several products in the marketplace, however, most of these applications are for clothing apparel and the like. Blown-in insulation of homes and buildings generally use fiberglass or cellulose.
There are environmental hazards and inefficiencies using these other materials. For example, fiberglass and cellulose will break apart into fine particles when put through conventional blow-in insulation equipment. These fine particles are hazardous to human beings upon breathing large quantities thereof. In addition, both materials, fiberglass and cellulose, are inferior to polymer (specifically PET) fibers for performance in insulation value and other measurable physical characteristics (such as cycling through wet and dry conditions).
In the present invention polymer fiber is made by way of a preferred process generally called melt blowing. This method is known in the plastics converting industry as a method to form small diameter fibers. U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,905 assigned to the assignee of the present application discloses a method of making continuous fibers, collecting the fibers and making a batt (lofted in the z direction).
Fiber (and products) made from the melt blowing process have typically been limited by the properties generated from the melt blow process.